This Present Darkness
by TheCreationMonster
Summary: "The darkness is always there, Jack. No matter what you do, you can never escape it. The darkness is always there and reaches as far as your soul. I would know. I was the King of Nightmares after all."
1. Chapter 1

**Yola! The Creation Monster here! This is me publishing for the first time!**

***YAY!***

**Yea… So this stuff is all new to me. Not fanfictions, I've done a TON of those, but publishing. I can never finish a FF all the way through. Or written in some cases… Anywho! I am confident about this one! This one I am sticking with! Because I love it so much! This will have (hopefully) weekly updates! If I miss a week, feel free to harp on me about it! I need better management skills and what better way to do that than with fanfiction deadlines!**

**So without further to do… On to the story!**

**OH! FYI: There will be language in this fic. Mostly by me in the A/N areas, but watch out for it nonetheless. And…**

**THERE ARE NO MAJOR SHIPS IN THIS FIC! OKAY?**

**OKAY! NOW you may continue.**

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Nicholas St. North sat in his workshop, tinkering away at the block of ice that sat on his desk. Snow fell outside, the flurries swishing past the window with the wind, but the chill that often accompanied the snow never reached inside, warded off by one of North's own inventions.

With a sigh, North set his tools down and grabbed a cookie off the plate that sat just outside his work area. He leaned back in his chair and looked at the ice. Something wasn't right with it, but what, North wasn't sure. He bit into the cookie, deep in thought, when Jack burst through his door. "North! Have you seen my staff?" He asked as he searched North's workroom. "I could have sworn I left it in the globe room but I can't find it!"

"Have you checked your room?" North suggested. Each Guardian had a room at North's workshop. The workshop was the common meeting point for them. It was also the only home in the group with rooms. So if any Guardian stopped for a visit, they had a place to stay.

The room fell quiet fast and North looked up from his sculpture only to give a small chuckle. Jack looked at him with a look of disbelief. Of course! He had checked every where else BUT his own room! North chuckled again. When the Winter Spirit wasn't in Burgess or spreading winter, he spent a spell at the workshop, especially since he had no business in either hemisphere during the spring and fall seasons. Besides, the Guardian of Fun was a great help when North was trying to decide what toys the kids would enjoy that year.

"Why do you need your staff? Autumn has not yet ended." North pointed out, which was true. It was the beginning of October, only a week and a half into the month. No snow was needed yet. Jack tossed the Russian a smile. "It has now." With that he started towards the door, making it only half way through before pausing. Jack turned back into the room to face North. "North... If that is who I think it is, you may want to add Baby Tooth. Just a suggestion." He said before leaving the jolly Russian to his work. North smiled and looked down at his Toothiana sculpt. Jack was right, as always. He picked up his tools and got to work. He may only have a month, but North was going to make sure every little girl had a Toothiana doll under their tree.

Jack gave out a whoop of joy when he spotted his shepherd's crook resting against his headboard. Since taking up residence at the North Pole, Jack had gotten into the bad habit of losing track of his crook. It came as a shock to all of the Guardians, himself included the first time he lost it in North's shop. He had managed to leave it behind in the Globe Room after a meeting with the Guardians. When Jack noticed, he panicked. The group had spread out and nearly tore the workshop apart looking for Jack's crook. Finally, Sandy managed to find it lying on the floor behind one of the chairs.

"Three hundred years that thing has been glued to your hand, Frostbite." He remembered Bunny saying. "What's with losing it all of the sudden?" Jack didn't have an answer then. It wasn't until thinking further on it that he came up with an answer. Here he didn't have to worry about the crook. Unlike before, he wasn't constantly moving. He had a place to rest without worrying where he was going to go next or worrying about the other seasons. He had a permanent home, even though Burgess would always rank first.

Smiling, Jack bounded across the room and grabbed his crook as he rolled across his bed and onto his feet. He ran to the window and threw the frost-covered panes opened. Jack's smile only grew as the North Wind blew into the room, wrapping itself around Jack in what could best be translated as a hug.

"I missed you too, Wind." Jack said as he hugged the Wind back. When interacting with seasonal spirits, and more so their respected season, the each of the four winds became more solid in their form. It was odd to describe and confused the other Guardians to no end, but, for Jack, it was normal and he could care less about explaining.

The North Wind unwrapped itself from around Jack as the boy went stand on the window sill. "Wind! Take me home!" He said with a joyous shout and jumped out the window. The wind never gave him the chance to fall as it lifted his body, shooting him off into the night sky.

"But Mother Goose!" Elizabeth interrupted Katherine from her spot on the rug. "Santa wasn't really a bandit!"

"He most certainly was!" Mr. Qwerty replied, beating Katherine to the punch. "He was one of the meanest bandits around!" The butterfly teased a he ruffled his page-wings.

"No he wasn't!" The four year old argued back. "He wouldn't be Santa if he was a meanie!"

Mr. Qwerty laughed. "I am not lying to you, Miss Elizabeth. I was there when North became Santa!" This much was true, but back then, Mr. Qwerty was just a glow worm and not a butterfly (who was also a book).

Elizabeth gave the duo a look of confusion. "But if he was mean, then how did he become Santa?"

"Well, Elizabeth," Katherine began with a smile. "The Man in the Moon saw how nice and smart North really was, but saw that he was lost-"

"Did he get lost in the grocery store? I've gotten lost there before." Elizabeth asked, pulling a laugh out of both Katherine and Mr. Qwerty.

"Not that kind of lost, sweetie. The lost I am talking about is different. North grew up being bad, so he had to find the niceness."

"Did he ever find it, Mother Goose?" Elizabeth asked as she scooted closer to Katherine.

"Why, of course he did! Do you think he would Santa today if he hadn't?" Katherine gave the small girl a smile as she ruffled her hair. The same smile grew into a smirk as the brunette looked out the window. It was snowing in early October, which could only mean one thing.

"Elizabeth... How do you feel about a riddle?" Katherine laughed as the four year old sprung up off the floor in excitement.

"Calm down, Elizabeth! Calm down or I can't tell you the riddle." Elizabeth settled down almost instantly, crossing her arms against Katherine's knees and resting her chin on her arms.

"Are you ready?"

Nod.

"Okay. I live in the winter, but die in the summer and my roots grow upward! What am I?"

Katherine watch as Elizabeth's face scrunched up in thought and she tilted her head a fraction.

"Oh, Izzy, that's easy!" A voice said from behind the little girl. "It's an icicle!" The voice continued as Elizabeth turned around and let out a loud squeal of "Jaaaaaack!" before she clumsily got up. Jack knelt to the ground as the little girl bulldozed into him and threw her arms around his neck in a hug before retracting just a quickly.

"Daddy! Daddy! Jack's back! Jack's back!" She squealed as she dragged the Winter Spirit into the back of her house, past the kitchen and into a hallway full of doors. One of the doors creaked open and a man walked out, scraggly unkempt hair with a beard to match and round glasses perched on the end of his nose. He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms against his chest.

"And let me guess..." He began as Elizabeth shifted from foot-to-foot. "You want to go out and play?"

A pregnant silence hung in the air. Jack swore he could feel the air grow hotter, but then again, it could have been the heater kicking on. The silence drug on for a moment before Jamie looked at his daughter with a grin. "Well, what are we waiting for? Go get dressed and maybe, just maybe, if you ask nicely, Jack will get some more snow going out there you." Elizabeth squealed again as she ran off to her room in search of her snow gear, forgetting about Jack altogether. He stood in the corridor as he looked at his first believer. "She really does have a set of lungs on her, doesn't she?"

Jamie shook his head and laughed as he watched his daughter dart about their house. "Yea. Just be thankful you aren't around for the tantrums." Jamie looked at Jack with a smile. "Good to see you again, Jack. Missed ya, man."

Jack smiled. "Miss you too, Jamie. I have to say... I think I am starting to see some crow's feet around your eyes there." The Winter Spirit laughed as Jamie tossed him a scowl, reaching up to his eyes when he though Jack wasn't looking.

Jack smiled as he looked at Jamie. Jack owed everything to his first believer, who never stopped believing. Every winter he made regular visits to the pond, sometimes with the other kids from that fateful night years ago. When he wasn't with Jack, he was working. Working on a secret something that he wouldn't tell Jack about which drove him insane every time he went to visit the kid. Jamie had some uncanny ability to know when Jack was coming to visit (which he later came to find his 'uncanny ability' was North) and always had his work locked up where Jack couldn't peek.

It took some time, but in Jamie's second year of college, Jack finally saw Jamie's project. A book with a blank cover and no name. A book that held more meaning than Jack thought. Jack prodded for more, but Jamie said nothing, telling Jack over and over to "just read the book already!" Finally Jack caved. He read the book and, in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner, shot into Jamie's house. While the Bennett family roared on about the "suddenly opened door" and moved to protect the food from the winds and snow, Jack had pulled Jamie aside to thank the boy profusely. What he had been given was a book that told of the adventure they all took that night years ago, telling how the Guardian of Fun stood up to the Boogieman and defeated him. The book was told through Jamie's eyes, depicting the Guardians, an Jack, in a heroic light. But what had really set Jack off was the fact that, on the inside back over was a note promising one thing: "I've already talked to North and this year, he promised to leave this book under every tree this Christmas." Jack smiled. With that book he had gained a multitude of followers in each country and that wasn't to be the only book. Apparently, Jamie had already planned to write more, a book for each of the Guardians under the pen name, William Joyce. It wouldn't be long before Jamie had every child in the world believing in them.

"Daddy!" A whine interrupted Jack's reminiscing, which snapped him back to reality. Reality being a curious and wide eyed four year old who sounded cross with her father. He barely caught Jamie's puzzled look before they both looked down at Elizabeth.

"Izzy!" Jamie mocked in despair before laughing at the pout that crossed his daughter's face. "What's up, princess? What did Daddy do this time?"

"It's more like what you didn't do."

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**A/N: Welp! There you have it! My first ever published fanfiction. I am not really sure how I feel about it. I like it, but… I'm worried. Probably because it is the first one I've ever published.**

**So! Things to touch up on! 1) In my mind the North Pole and Santoff Claussen are two totally different places. Unless Joyce say that they somehow moved Santoff Claussen to the North Pole, The North Pole will be at the North Pole and Santoff Claussen will be stay in Siberia.**

**2) I totally see Jamie being an author. He is an imaginative kid and I see Sophie being his illustrator. I figured Jamie and Jack would have become best friends over the years and Jamie would understand Jack's problem with not being seen still. And the greatest way to get a child to believe is BOOKS! Whether it is school, parents, grandparents, babysitters, whatever, 90% of children will be read a book and picture books give them an idea of what to look out for, so when they start playing pretend with those stories, they begin to believe, because kids believe anything adults say.**

**3) Again, until Jack's book is published, Pippa will be the little Overland's name.**

**4)Oh yea! 20 years have passed since then. I assume Jamie is about 10 in the movie, so he is 30ish in my story.**

**5) Katherine and Mr. Qwerty are book characters! Go check out the RotG wiki to learn more about them!**

**Comment, like, do whatever the hell it is you people do on here. IDK. Just tell me opinions! And errors…. I read over them a lot. So tell me what you think and I will update in a week! Adios bitches!**


	2. Chapter 2

Jack whipped around at the new voice. At the end of the hall stood a woman, hip cocked to the side and hand on her hips. Her face was contorted into a scowl and her eyes narrowed at her husband.

"Mama!" Elizabeth slipped out of Jamie's grasp and bee-lined for woman as she crouched down to catch her daughter in her arms. She kissed Elizabeth's forehead as she picked her daughter up and shifted her onto her hip.

"I go away for one week and what? I come back to this!" She motioned around at the house. "You throw a freaking Fairytale get-together and do not invite your wife?" She sassed.

Jack smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, Cupcake, I wasn't invited either."

Cupcake sent a glare at Jack as Jamie coughed out a "Caitlin" behind him. "The name's Caitlin, Twinkle Toes."

"Sure thing... Cupcake." He whispered under his breath. He laughed as Jamie sighed behind him and Cupcake let out a huff in frustration.

"Why are you even here Jack? October is just getting started. _Started. _Not to be confused with ended. Which means it is still autumn. Which brings me to ask... Why is it snowing in the fall?!"

He put a hand over his heart and staggered backwards at her words. "Oh... Your words wound me. Do you no longer care about me, Cupcake? What happened to the connection we once had?" Jack smirked at the glare the woman sent his way. He loved getting under Cupcake's skin. The woman was so much more laid back now than she was as a child, which mad picking on her all the more fun.

The Winter Spirit sighed. "Fine. If you must know, we Seasonal Spirits have an… Agreement of sorts. Once every so often, seasonal change can happen earlier or later than normal. We can get away with it because of the "Global Climate" whatever bullshi-iz!" Jack caught himself mid-curse as Jamie pushed his shoulder in warning. Rule #1: No cussing around the children.

At all.

Ever.

"So you decided to use up your early winter ticket, why?"

"Yea, Jack…." Jamie jumped in, moving out from behind Jack and towards his wife. "Why did you come early? Not that we don't want you! It's just… Won't that mean you would have to leave earlier?"

Jack groaned, exasperated. "What's with the Twenty Question, guys! Can't we just go... Play in the snow?"

"Yea! I want to play outside!" Elizabeth whined. "You promised, Daddy!" She said with a pout.

Jamie sighed. "Okay, okay. Let Mommy and Daddy get dressed and we'll go play outside."

"Yay!" Elizabeth grinned and clapped her hands as Cupcake put her down. "Come one Jack!" She waved him over before darting into the living room. Jack grinned and went to follow her when he was stopped by Cupcake.

"This isn't over Jack, you hear?" Was the only thing she said before following Jamie into room to pull out their snow clothes from the top of the closet.

Jack sighed. He loved those two. He really did, but he was older than them. If he didn't want to talk, he didn't want to talk! He was their friend, not their child. It was almost like the others! Especially North, thinking he would just open up to them with no problems after being alone for 300 years, with only the North Wind and the occasional Seasonal Spirit to interact with. And Bunny, but he really didn't count.

"They are just watching out for you, Jack." Katherine spoke from the couch, flipping through the pages on Mr. Qwerty's back. Katherine, along with Sandy, was the only Guardian to push him to talk about his past. During the return of Pitch, Katherine and Ombric, the final Guardian as well as North's mentor and Katherine's adoptive father, were searching the library of the Lunar Lamadary, trying locate the final piece of the /Moon Clipper/. At the beginning of their journey, the Man in the Moon told North, Katherine, and Ombric of a weapon that laid scatter in five pieces across Earth, a weapon that could finally defeat Pitch, one and for all.

In the end, they did defeat Pitch, but not in the way they Jack had expected. When the five pieces were brought together, the weapon banished the Nightmares from Pitch's body and trapped the Nightmares in a prison of pure, unwavering light. Weakening them, but not killing them and turning Pitch Black back into Kozmotis Pitchner, renowned general and father of Nairi Pitchner, or Mother Nature, as she is most commonly known, emerging soon after the fall of her father.

"I know, Katherine, but-"

"But after being alone for three centuries, opening up seems impossible and scary. You are afraid that-"

"Katherine." Jack interrupted her before she could dissect him further. Katherine looked up at him and have him a soft smile. "Jack... It doesn't matter who you were. What matters is who you are now. Nothing you say or do will run us off. Sorry to say it, but you are stuck with us."

Jack returned the smile with one of his own, only sadder. "Thank yo-"

"JAAACK!" Elizabeth stood in the doorway that led to the backyard with her hands on her hips. "Come ON!" She huffed before stomping out of the house.

A silence him between the two at the sudden interruption before Jack let out an exasperated laugh with a roll of his eyes. "Sorry Katherine, but I must go. I should keep an eye on Izzy out there before she does something desperate."

"Good luck, Jack. You need it with her. It is worrisome how crafty she is. Keep her out of too much trouble. I say this because, with you two together, trouble is bound to happen. Almost like you and Bunnymund. It's amazing how that Pooka has changed so much these past few years." Katherine said as she looked back to Mr. Qwerty, who she held in her lap. Jack smiled at her back before walking out the door.

"I want to /strangle/ him at times!" Cupcake fumed as she and Jamie walked into the living room. Jamie stood by the couch as Cupcake went to gather her and Jamie's scarves from the coat rack.

"You can't push him, Caitlin. If you do, he will only clamp up again. Compared to the North and the others, you two have gotten him to open up the most." Katherine sighed. "North, Tooth, and Bunny push him for answers. Every time a topic from his past comes up, they push. Jack trusts you two to not do that. So you need to give him time."

"Time? He's had twenty years!" Cupcake hissed. "Twenty years isn't enough?"

"Sweetheart." Jamie pushed himself off the couch and strode to where he stood in front of his wife. "Jack was alone for three hundred years. While twenty years is long for us, it isn't for Jack. We, the Guardians, all of us are the first family Jack has had in three hundred years, so this is all new to him. It doesn't matter if it has been twenty years. It could be twenty more before he starts talking to anyone. We just have to be there for him when he is ready." Jamie said has he petted his wife's hair in comfort as she sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I know... Just seeing him like this- always wanting to talk, but too scared to talk, like we might judge him- it kills me. I just want him to know we care."

"He does." Katherine said from the couch. "He knows you care. But he has been treated as if a burden by countless spirits over the years that he is worried of becoming a burden to you as well."

"But he isn't!" Cupcake huffed.

"I know, Cupcake." Jamie said, ignoring the way Cupcake made a disapproving grunt at her old nickname, "We just need to show him that."

Cupcake sighed. "Why is it that you are always right?" She asked as she pulled away to put on her beanie.

"Because I am his best friend. I know how he works." Jamie replied with a smile.

"Oh? Is that why you always leave me hanging when I tried to talk to Jack?" Cupcake looked at her husband with a disapproving look.

"No. I just know when to shut up." Jamie walked away with a smirk as Cupcake looked after him in shock.

"What are you implying?!" She yelled as she followed after him.

Katherine smiled as the two continued to banter as they walked outside.

"I want to make a snowman!"

Jack looked at the girl, exasperated. "But, Izzy... We've already made /three/. Don't you want to make something else?" This had been going on for awhile now. Since they had come outside, all they had done was make snowmen. He had offered to whip up a whole army of them but, no, she wanted to make the /by hand/.

"No! We haven't finished the family yet!" She huffed and stomped her foot.

"What? Can't handle little Izzy, Jack?" Jamie called from behind him. It took every ounce of self control Jack had to resist covering them in snow; even Katherine, who sat onto of her goose, Kailash, laughing behind Mr. Qwerty.

Jack scowled and turned to Jamie. "I am handling this just fine!" He gruffed and turned back to Elizabeth as the others lost control of their laughter. "We have you, Daddy, and Mommy, who are we missing?" He asked with a sigh of defeat.

"You!

Jack paused and looked at at the four year old who stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"We haven't made you yet!"

Jack sat frozen in shock. Did she really see him as family? Was he that close to her? ... Was he an uncle now?

Jack hadn't realized he hadn't been paying attention to Elizabeth (a mistake on his part) until he felt her tug on his hand. "Hurry up Jack!"

"Coming, Izzy." He said as it started snowing. He laughed as Elizabeth giggled in glee and stuck her young out to catch the snowflakes.

"Izzy! Don't eat all the snow or we won't have enough for your snow-Jack."

"I can't eat it all!"

"How do you know?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and looked at Jack. "Because I'm an expert. And dere's snow on the ground. I'm not going to eat dat snow... It's nasty." She said as she scrunched up her nose.

"So you want to eat all the good snow and make a Jack snowman out of dirty snow? Why do I have have to made from dirty snow? Huh?"

Elizabeth stomped her foot. "Jaaack!" She whined.

Jack smiled and ruffled her hat-covered hair. "Come on, Izzy. Let's make this snowman. "Together they started on the base, packing in enough snow before they began rolling it around the yard to collect snow. It took them two tried to get the snow right before they finished the base and rolled it beside the family they had created earlier. Jack cupped his hands and watched as Elizabeth packed his hands full with snow. The process was a slow one and going nowhere fast. Each time Elizabeth went to pack more snow into his hand, half of it fell out and landed back onto the ground. If the girl wasn't having so much fun, Jack would have taken things into his own hands by now.

Elizabeth was on her way when she stopped mid-step and looked behind Jack with wide, bright eyes and her mouth parted in an 'o'.

"Izzy? You okay?"

"You know… The funniest thing just happened to me. I was half-way through my check up on China when it started to snow! I could have sworn it was autumn just this morning. Funny how things work, huh Jack?"

The Winter Spirit flinched at the new voice. So _that's _what Elizabeth was staring at.

"Well, autumn is just a _dry _season I figured I should spice things up, Anona." Jack said with a smile. He stood from his spot in the snow and looked at the new comer.

"You are so lucky York isn't here. She would kill you if she heard you mocking her... Again."

Elizabeth tugged on Jack's hoodie, her eyes never left Anona. Jack looked down and laughed as the girl made grabby hands at him. He bent down and scooped her up, settling her on his hip.

"Awe! You look good with a kid on your hip, Jack!" Anona teased. Jack scowled and, with a wave of his crook, sent a wave of snow at her. The Autumn Spirit sputtered and brushed snow off her clothes and auburn hair. As Jack laughed at the riled Anona, Elizabeth leaned up against him and put a hand up to his ear.

"Jack… Who's dat?" She whispered loudly as she looked at Anona out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh.. Don't worry about her, Izzy. She's just a spirit. A smelly one. She doesn't bathe." Jack teased.

"Jaack! I'm being serious!"

Anona laughed. "Don't listen to him. Jack's just being mean-"

"Hey!"

"I'm Anona. I'm the Autumn Spirit. I'm the one who changes the leaves in the fall." Anona said before sticking out her hand. "What's your name, little one?"

"I'm not little! I'm a big girl! My name is Elizabef."

Anoa smiled. "I'm sorry. I guess you are a big girl, huh? Well, Elizabeth, I'm Anona and I am a friend and Jack's."

"You're pretty! Can you play with me?" Elizabeth asked, eyes hopeful. Anona frowned. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I have to go. I can't be here when it is snowing. But I'll tell you what," She started, when she saw Elizabeth's frown. "I'll be here next year. You want to play then?"

Elizabeth brightened instantly. "Really? Okay!"

"Alright, big girl! I'll see you next year, but can I talk to Jack, please?" Anona laughed as Elizabeth sighed dramatically. "Fine. You are going to have grown-up talk like Mommy and Daddy right? Are you two together? When Mommy and Daddy have grown-up talk they kiss. Is that why I can't listen? Are you going to kiss?" Elizabeth asked with a scrunched nose.

Anona doubled over at Jack's appalled look.

"Izzy… Anona and I aren't going to kiss." He said slowly, still in shock.

"Oh…. Can I listen then?" She asked hopeful.

"No… No, lamb." Anona replied, still giggling. "This is… Secret Spirit stuff." Anona said with a serious face as she crouched down to Elizabeth's level.

"Really?" Elizabeth asked, wide-eyed.

"Yea… And it's boring." She feigned sadness. "It's no fun, but we have to. How about you go play and, if you are good at keeping secrets, Jack will tell you later?"

Secrets. The one way to get a child to agree with anything is to promise them something secret.

"Oh! Oh! What is it? What is it?" She asked as she bounced around.

"Nuh-uh-uh! You have to go and play before you get to hear it." Anona said sternly. Elizabeth straightened up with an "Okay!" before rocketing off as Jack watched on in amazement.

"How did you know to do that?" Jack ask as Elizabeth started back with her snowman.

"You aren't the only one who watches the humans, Jack. It is amazing what parent's will do to get the children to behave. That is the first time I have ever be able to test my knowledge, though."

Jack whirled on her. "You didn't know what you were doing?!"

"No I didn't. But my surprising skills with children are not what I came to talk to you about. And before you try to argue, please listen." Jack scowled, but motioned for her to continue. "I want you to be safe this winter. Nuh-uh-uh! Listen! Please. I know you are a Season Spirit created by the Man in the Moon. I know you are a Guardian. You may be stronger than some of us, but you are not invincible. I do not know how the Guardians plan on dealing with this problem, but don't be reckless. Don't try to deal with it all on your own. Please be safe."

A silence lingered between them, making Anona antsy. "Jack please answer me."

"Oh? I can talk now? Okay. What are you talking about?"

Anona looked at him, taken aback. "You don't know?" She asked slowly. Jack furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. "Know? Know what?"

"You don't know? The Guardians don't know?!"

"If we knew, I wouldn't be asking you! Anona, what don't we know?"

"Something has been taking the kids, Jack. There is something in the woods."

**Anyone who says a four-year-old doesn't act like that is a liar! I have a niece who acts like that. I've babysat kids who act like that. They are experts on everything and it is a crime, or a tragedy because sometimes they break out in tears, if you contradict them! It is insane! Drives me up a wall! UGH! Anywho… I don't know what to say about this chapter except that I love Elizabeth and I totally ship Jamie and Cupcake.**

**Also, ****_my_**** seasonal spirits;**

**Rosh- Male. Spring Spirit. Rosh means beginning and spring is all about new beginnings.**

** York- Female. Summer Spirit. York means yew tree, or of the yew tree. The 'female' yew tree pollinates during the summer.**

**Anona-Female. Autumn Spirit. Anona means grain harvest and autumn is the harvest season.**

**And correction from last time... Just watched the movie again. Jack's little sister didn't have a name... Whoops. **

**And I think that is all I think I need to cover. Message, comment, like, follow on whatever site you are reading this on. Please and thank you! Peace!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about this being late guys! The semester is wrapping up down here (1 week left) and things have gone INSANE! I've been running around trying to get stuff done and not all of it is finished. More notes at the bottom that are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! But you'll get to those. First, you have a late chapter to read.**

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"Jamie!"

Jamie looked up from his conversation with Katherine and Cupcake at Jack's call, shocked as the boy stormed towards him with determination. A strange, dark-skinned girl in a dress of orange and red leaves followed behind him.

"Why didn't you tell me? Tell us!" Jack said as he stopped in front of Jamie. "I mean, I understand that you may not feel the need to contact us," Jack started to pace in front of the group, too wound up to stand still. "I mean, Pitch is not longer a threat, but kids are still our priority. We try to help kids in any way. So why did I have to find out from Anona that there are kids going missing in the forest? _My _forest nonetheless! And on top of that, she thinks it is Spirit related-"

"The energy doesn't feel human at all." Anona clarified quietly.

"So why didn't you contact any of us!"

"I have no way to contact any of you!" Jamie exploded, making Jack flinch, but he didn't stop. "Elizabeth hasn't lost any teeth yet and the fairies won't come in if the children are not asleep. Bunny only visits my sister. We only see him on Easter. And even if we could talk to him, the disappearances didn't start until late summer. Sandy always puts us to sleep before we can try to talk to him and the postal service doesn't exactly send letters to Santa until after Halloween. I am sorry that I did not contact you, but I had no way Jack! I can't exactly pick up a phone and call you."

"I'm just going to leave now..." Anona said. She didn't wait for a response, knowing she wasn't going to get one, before she shot up over the roof and disappeared. Katherine and Cupcake were not far behind her, slipping into the house to get away from the argument.

"What about Katherine? You couldn't ask her to deliver a message?" Jack shot back.

"This is the first she has visited since the disappearances began! She just pops in before going to see North! So don't, Jack. We had to wait and hope and pray that this was some twisted psycho while we waited for winter." Jamie growled. "I know you are a guardian and everything Jack, but I have a daughter that can fall victim to this thing. Elizabeth... She is the most important thing to me." Jamie said with a glance over Jack at her lonely snowman. "She is my first priority, Jack, and she always will be." With that, Jamie turn on heel and walked inside. Jack slumped his shoulders and sighed. It was the first snow of the year and there was already tension between them. Granted every other time there was an argument it was because Jack had snowed them in for a week. Even then Jamie managed to go to work somehow. The Winter Spirit stuffed his hands in his pocket and kicked up some snow as he walked to the where he left Elizabeth.

"_Jack!_" There was a loud 'bang' and Jack turned, taking in a wide-eyed and frantic Jamie. "Is Elizabeth out here?"

Jack paused and quickly looked around. Surely enough, the yard was vacant of any little girl.

"Jamie wha-"

"Elizabeth is gone."

Elizabeth stumbled deeper into the woods around Burgess. Her feet crunched in the snow as she jumped over downed trees. She knew she wasn't supposed to go into the woods without Mommy or Daddy, but something green in the woods caught her eye while she was building her snowman. She only wanted to see what it was! It was so shiny when the sunlight hit it! Maybe it was something she could give Mommy! So now the four year old struggled to keep going as her little legs grew tired.

The sky had darkened considerably by the time Elizabeth reached Jack's home on the pond. Everything was white and silent, a common occurrence with Jack's first snow of the season. She stood still, just like she had learned in her books. She listened and looked while trying to make no sound at all. The seconds ticked away slowly and barely half a minute passed before the impatient four year old huffed and crossed her arm. She had lost it! She was really wanted to see what it was! It was getting late and she couldn't see that well anymore. Maybe she could come back tomorrow with Mommy and Daddy and look for it again. Maybe they can bring nets! And flash lights and oh! Maybe they can camp out in the woods!

With her mind set, Elizabeth put a smile on her face and turned to go home, disappointment completely forgotten, when there was a soft rustle in the tree line. She froze. Things were silent for a moment until branches rustled and snow fell from the trees with a 'plop'. Elizabeth turned to look at the disturbance and gasped. At the base of one of the trees, covered mostly in snow, was her shiny, green... thing! With an ecstatic giggle, Elizabeth ran over to the tree and crouched in the snow at the base of the tree. The four year old raised a gloved hand and, cautiously, poked it. It was hard! She giggled and poked it again. This time, Elizabeth let out a startled yelp as the thing shifted and began to move. It slid behind the tree with a 'hsss' and left a trail of green in the snow. She gasped as the trees shuddered, as if something was ramming into them. Elizabeth scrambled and stood and turned to run when she collided with something hard. She fell back onto her bottom with a 'thump'. She whimpered in pain as a large shadow was cast over her fallen form and looked up. Above her was a snake, bigger than any snake she had ever seen or read about. Its head fanned out like a cobra's, but it was black. In fact, its whole body was black including its teeth; black and shimmery in the fading light. The snake reared back and readied itself for a strike when Elizabeth screamed.

"Izzy?!" Jack yelled. She had not gone missing long ago, but in that short time, it felt as if years had passed. When they first noticed she disappeared, panic struck, or near panic. There was loads of yelling, mostly Cupcake, as to what happened. It wasn't until Katherine so rationally pointed out that they were losing time and evidence of where she went that everyone shut up.

"Elizabeth!" Jack looked back over his shoulder at Cupcake, strong as ever. He knew she was distraught, but since she was a kid, she had always been strong. The brawn to Jamie's brain. Not saying Cupcake was a fool, she was very bright, but she always had a strong heart. Probably why she became a lawyer. She had told Jack she was going to search for her baby girl, monsters be damned. That was her baby and she wasn't going to allow someone else look for her without helping in some way. She said it with such resolve that not even Katherine was going to speak against her about the dangers. Instead, she just nodded and walked outside, telling Jack she was going to fetch North and the others, in case this was bigger than they thought. That was about half an hour ago and there was no sign of them since.

"Princess!" Jamie called as he searched the woods, looking in every nook-and-cranny he could find. Though Jack stopped the snow fall, Elizabeth's tracks had still been covered, making the search for Elizabeth harder.

... Then they heard her scream.

Jamie looked up at Jack in terror. "Jack, that came from-"

"The pond." Jack cursed under his breath and shot off with the North Wind as Jamie sprinted after him.

_Pleasepleasepleaseplease don't let her have fallen into the pond._ Jack silently begged. _I haven't had the chance to freeze it over fully. Please let her be okay._

Determined, Jack pushed the Wind to speed up, barely allowing the teen to dodge the forest trees. What greeted him when he broke the tree line wasn't any comfort.

Cornered against the rock face, Elizabeth cowered in fear as a snake, at least 30 feet tall, slithered towards her.

"IZZY!" Elizabeth looked up at Jack. But so did the snake, who hissed and bared its black fangs. "IZZY! RUN!" Jack yelled as he dived towards the snake, picking up intense speeds before crashing into the snakes side.

"JACK!" Elizabeth cried as the two connected. Jack quickly bounced back from his attack, jumped up onto the rock face, and took advantage of the high ground.

"Run Izzy! Run!" Jack waved the girl off as the snake shuttered and struggled to erect itself.

"PRINCESS!" Jamie stumbled through the tree line, chest heaving and eyes wide. The snake snapped to the side, looking at Jamie before its eyes flickered over to Elizabeth as she ran towards her father.

"PRINCESS!" Jamie yelled panicked as a shadow cast over her. Elizabeth stopped to look up, watching as the giant tail of the snake came crashing down.

Jack's heart stopped as the snake finally got up, not sparing him a glance. Instead laid on its side, tail shifting, as it stared intently at the four year old. Its prey was getting away. Jack could have sworn the snake grinned as it lifted its tail, sweeping it in a high arch aimed right at Elizabeth.

"PRINCESS!" He heard Jamie yell. Jack barely registered it as he jumped off the cliff. His focus was completely on Elizabeth who watched, frozen in place, as the giant tail fell overhead.

Jack rocketed under the snake's falling tail and grabbed Elizabeth. Once he cleared the tail, Jack rolled in the air and threw Elizabeth to Jamie. "Get out of here! Go!" He yelled as he pushed them back with a gush of air from North Wind.

He never looked at them, favoring the black snake who now had his eyes turned to Jack, baring his vicious fangs. In anger, the snake swung his tail backwards towards Jack, who jumped in the air to dodge the attack and sent out an attack of his own. A string of icicles shot from his staff, which hit the snake diagonally across the body of the snake. He watched as the snake thrashed in pain and rolled back into the trees behind it. The trees swayed under the force the snake crashed into them. The snow, which laid on the branches, was knocked loose and covered the snake in a blanket of snow. Jack gave an internal cheer, thankful for the short victory over the snake.

The boy wasn't without wounds of his own. Ramming into the snake like he did early on was stupid, he had to admit as he rolled his shoulder in pain. So he took the chance to ice over his shoulder while the snake was disoriented from the attack in hopes of numbing the pain. He sunk to the forest floor and slipped to his knees. Jack let out a soft hiss as he moved his shoulder to slip a hand in his hoodie and create a thin layer of ice over the wounded area.

Jack sat still for a moment and let the ice do its job as he stared at the snake. Since his last attack, the thing hadn't moved. He hadn't expected the thing to be out for so long, especially not out for the count. It was strong and smart, having avoided the Guardians' notice for so long, so why it went down so fast worried Jack. In his three hundred years, he had never killed anyone if he could avoid it and learned quickly that even though it was down didn't mean it was finished. It wasn't finished until it fled for good. He stared at the snow where the head of the snake was buried, expecting it to pop out at any moment, and crept closer. With a wave of his shepard's crook, the snow covering the snake was blown away and reveled the full body of the snake. Jack gave a quick glance for reassurance at the icicles that were still embedded in the snake's body before he went to inspect the snake's face. Its eyes were closed which comforted Jack as he crouched down in front of the things face and reached out to touch its nose. Hesitantly, the Winter Child ran his fingers brushed against the snake's nose before he quickly pulled his hand back with a startled gasp. Was this thing really- Black eyes shot opened and the snake shifted. Jack cursed and leapt backwards.

He watched as the snake struggled to right itself. It thrashed as it tried to turn over, knocking into trees as it did so. The cracked of splintering wood echoed in the clearing and trees swayed dangerously. The snake, though, was open to any attack, but its thrashing gave the attacker a chance to miss. A chance Jack was willing to take. He slammed his staff into the ground. Ice spikes erupted from the staff as it connected with the earth and quickly made their way towards the snake. The snake saw the attack and ducked into the trees. The large mass of the snake didn't keep it from hitting the trees as it slithered through the timber. He saw the attack before it even came and jumped back a good ten feet as the snake struck. The two watched each other, Jack stayed light of his feet as he copied the snake's swaying movement. Jack knew what the thing was, thought it helped little. This Nightmare was more powerful than the ones he encountered under Pitch's control, and bigger. With each of his attacks, Jack swore the thing was getting smarter, knowing not only when, but _how,_ to dodge Jack's attacks, and it unnerved him greatly. He didn't think he could defeat it on his own.

As if the universe was on his side, a sudden 'jingle' of bells rang out. Jack looked up in relief and saw as the portal opened. Then things changed. The snake swung its tail and hit Jack square in the chest. His brain barely registered the _'oh shit' _that crossed his mind as he dropped his staff and went flying backwards. His head cracked against the rock face behind him, pinned beneath the crushing force of the snake's tail. Jack's vision flickered before going black.

"GUYS! IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE AT THE END YOU NEED TO READ!"

* * *

**A/N: And the bad parenting award goes to... Nah. I think Jamie and Cupcake would be wonderful parents, but I've seen a ****_lot _****of parents pull this stunt. Its insane. Watch your kids people. Srsly. Goodness me, though. There is a ****_lot_**** of yelling in this chapter... Kinda reminds me of Rocky Horror... :D**

**I see Jack as being very acrobatic. He is lean and limber. He trapezes all over the place. He is an acrobat with the Wind as a best friend. And smart. After three hundred years alone, he would have picked up some tricks and smarts. I have head cannons planned out but I am not sure if I want to write them.**

**But anyways, I hate this chapter. It fought me. It took me two weeks to get to a place that I could accept it and I still don't like it, but that is what you guys get. I may come back later and edit here and there, but this is good enough for me for now. Now maybe you guys could help me... I have found one other, but (including mine) there is a ****_veryvery _****small percentage of adventure fics on here that have NO ulterior romantic motive. That is one of the reasons I decided to publish this in the first place. I have found like, two and they have been abandoned. So if you guys know of any good, ****_unromantic_**** fics on here, I would LOVE to know about them! NOT one-shot drabbles... I have most of those.**

**ALSO! For the next, month or so, updates may ****_not_**** be on schedule. The semester is ending and finals are starting up. For me that equals TONS or studying and paper-writing. So I will try my damnedest to be on time, but you guys (those of you who actually give a flying flip) ****_should_**** get a weekly update! If not... Then this may force me to start writing my drabbles**

**AND THANK YOU ****MYTH. **** AND ****SAMSWIMMER**** FOR THE FOLLOWS! I LOVE YOU!**

**P.P.S. I have hit a dilemma guys. I started this story with the intent of add BOTH a new villan and a new guardian. BUT I, unlike most, have added the book characters as well as Elizabeth. This has added a LOT of focus points to my story. So, my ducklings, should I add a new guardian or leave things be? I can go either way and I like both, but I don't want to ruin the story. I really like my guardian, but if I have to cut him, I will. I may end up doing the drabbles and will add him in there instead. BUT the ball is officially in your court! Give me your thoughts. I would love to hear them! **


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